Method and device for producing oxygen

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method and a device for producing elementary oxygen or for increasing the concentration thereof in the inhaled air of a user. According to the invention, water is split into hydrogen and elementary oxygen by means of electrical energy (electrolysis), the elementary oxygen is mixed with the inhaled air, and the hydrogen is mixed with the surrounding air in order to be converted back into water (fuel reaction). The splitting of the water into hydrogen and elementary oxygen and the conversion of the hydrogen and surrounding air into water take place simultaneously and continuously, forming a reaction circuit, and are coupled to each other, the electrical energy produced during the conversion being used to reduce the energy demand for the splitting. To this end, an electrolyzer outfit for splitting water into hydrogen and elementary oxygen, and a fuel cell for converting the hydrogen and the surrounding air into water are electrically connected in such a way that they can conduct liquids.

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and to a device for producing oxygen, as well as to its use in different areas.

[0002] Almost pure oxygen is frequently required when a user or a patient is to be supplied, for medical or other reasons, with correspondingly pure oxygen instead of the conventional oxygen occurring in the surrounding air.

[0003] For this purpose, essentially three possible devices and methods are known from the state of the art.

[0004] For example, so-called oxygen- or O₂-concentrators are used. In these, two molecular sieves are selected alternately in that air is aspirated over an air filter, compressed with a compressor and alternately supplied to the molecular sieves over valves. The molecular sieves are filled with zeolites, which absorb gases. By the pressure produced, the absorption ratio of oxygen to nitrogen is shifted in a high degree towards nitrogen, so that almost pure oxygen leaves the molecular sieve, approximately a third of which is supplied to the user or patient. In general, oxygen concentrators are defect-ridden and susceptible to failure. Moreover, the compressors are correspondingly noise-intensive and the devices are bulky.

[0005] A further possibility for producing almost pure oxygen is based on the fact that oxygen, present in the liquid state and kept in appropriate pressure vessels, is converted to the gaseous state by conversion processes adequately known from the state-of-the-art and then supplied to a patient. This possibility has the disadvantage that liquid oxygen must always be available and is associated with a certain expense, especially outside of a hospital.

[0006] Furthermore, it is also known that the oxygen required can be made available in pressure vessels. Here also, a certain logistic expenditure cannot be avoided. Moreover, the pressure vessels, which must withstand a pressure up to 200 bar, are correspondingly heavy and difficult to transport.

[0007] It is a common, significant disadvantage of the three methods and devices named above for producing oxygen that, because of their specific, structural configuration on the one hand and because they require starting materials to be made available, they are suitable only to a limited extent, if at all, for mobile use.

[0008] Starting out from the disadvantages, known from the state of the art, it is an object of the present invention to make available a method, which can make almost pure oxygen available to a user in a very simple matter. Moreover, it is an object of this invention to make available a device, which implements this method, can be handled easily, makes relatively little noise and is light.

[0009] This objective is accomplished, on the one hand, with a method of claims 1 and 6, as well as with a device of claim 11.

[0010] Basically, the present invention makes two methods available for producing oxygen.

[0011] In the case of a first, inventive method, water is split by electrolysis, which is a known method, into hydrogen and into oxygen, which is then mixed with the respired air. The hydrogen formed can then be converted once again with air from the surroundings by means of a coupled fuel reaction into water. In this connection, it is essential, pursuant to the invention, that the electrolysis and the fuel reaction are coupled with one another in such a manner, that they form a reaction cycle and take place simultaneously and continuously. Pursuant to the invention, the electrical energy, released by the fuel reaction, is then used to reduce the energy required for the splitting.

[0012] According to a further development of this method, the water, obtained during the fuel reaction, is recycled to the splitting process.

[0013] According to an advantageous development of the method, the electrical energy, required for maintaining the reaction cycle, is generated either by the fuel reaction itself, which is coupled with the electrolysis, or by a second fuel reaction, which takes place separately from the first one, additional hydrogen, which does not originate from the electrolysis or is supplied from a separate energy source, then being supplied to the two fuel reactions.

[0014] The additional hydrogen, required for this, can be made available directly from a storage medium, especially from a metal hybrid storage medium or a pressurized storage medium, the hydrogen being obtained, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, by means of a fuel reforming process, for example, from sodium borohydride.

[0015] In a further, advantageous development of this method, the fuel may, for example, be methanol.

[0016] Pursuant to the invention, oxygen can also produced in a second method owing to the fact that the electrolysis process and the fuel reaction are interwoven with one another in such a manner, that the intermediate step of transferring the hydrogen, produced by the electrolysis, into the fuel reaction, is omitted. For this purpose and pursuant to the invention, the water is split catalytically at an anode side of a cell into hydrogen ions and oxygen ions, the hydrogen ions moving through a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) to a cathode side of this cell, in which they are converted catalytically with air from the surroundings into water once again. At the anode side, the oxygen ions react, emitting electrons to the oxygen, which is then admixed with the respired air.

[0017] Pursuant to the invention, the water, obtained on the cathode side during this second method, can also be recycled once again to the splitting reaction on the anode side.

[0018] For this variation of the inventive method also, the electrical energy, necessary for maintaining the reaction cycle, can be made available by an additional fuel reaction, which proceeds separately from the process, in that additional hydrogen, which optionally can be reformed from a fuel, is supplied to this additional fuel reaction.

[0019] For carrying out the method mentioned first, an electrolyzer, pursuant to the invention, is connected to a fuel cell electrically and for transferring fluids.

[0020] In this connection, it is advantageous, pursuant to the invention, if the electrolyzer and/or the fuel cell are constructed as a so-called PEM cell. For the latter, a plastic membrane, which carries out the ion transport and, in so doing, conducts only protons, is used as electrolyte. The advantage of polymer membranes over potassium hydroxide as electrolyte lies in the simplification of the system and, above all, in the higher, achievable power density. Moreover, in comparison to an alkali unit, a PEM cell is not sensitive to contamination by carbon dioxide, so that it is not necessary to use very pure reaction gases and the fuel cell can also be operated with air.

[0021] When an external voltage is supplied to the PEM electrolyzer, water is split electrolytically on the anode side directly into gaseous oxygen, electrons and H⁺ ions according to the equation 2H₂O→4 e⁻+4H⁺+O₂. The H⁺ ions (protons) migrate through a proton-conducting PEM membrane to the cathode and, with the electrons flowing over an external conducting circuit, form hydrogen according to the equation 4H⁺+4 e⁻→2H₂, the overall reaction being 2H₂O→2H₂+O₂. The pure oxygen is then discharged and admixed with the air respired by a patient, whereas the hydrogen is passed on to a PEM fuel cell.

[0022] The mode of functioning of the fuel cell is opposite to that of the electrolysis cell. The hydrogen, supplied to the anode of this cell, is oxidized, being broken down by the catalytic action of the electrode into protons and electrons (2H₂→4H⁺+4 e⁻). The hydrogen ions once again reach the cathode side through a proton-conducting PEM membrane. In the case of a closed external circuit, the electrons migrate to the cathode and carry out electrical work on the way. The oxygen (not pure), which is contained in the surrounding air and carried to the cathode, is then reduced, water being formed together with the protons (4 e⁻+4H⁺+O₂→2H₂O), SO that the overall reaction is 2H₂+O₂→2H₂O.

[0023] As already mentioned previously, the water obtained is supplied once again to the splitting process at the anode side of the PEM cell.

[0024] The second method can be carried out pursuant to the invention owing to the fact than an electrolyzer and a fuel cell are combined in one cell, preferably as a PEM cell. Pursuant to the invention, the step of producing the gaseous hydrogen by electrolysis and of passing this hydrogen on as a starting material for a fuel reaction is omitted here, only a polymer membrane being used as electrolyte. On the anode side, the water supplied is split catalytically into oxygen ions and hydrogen ions (H₂O→O²⁻+2H⁺). The hydrogen ions (protons) are passed through the polymer membrane to the cathode side of the cell and react there catalytically with the oxygen, supplied by the surrounding air, to form water according to the equation 4H⁺+O₂+4 e⁻→2H₂O. The water, so formed, can be returned once again and supplied to the anode side of the cell.

[0025] At the anode side, the oxygen ions then form oxygen, emitting electrons according to the equation 2O²⁻→O₂+4 e⁻. The gaseous oxygen can then be discharged from the cell and mixed appropriately with the air respired by the user.

[0026] In both variations of the inventive method, gaseous, pure oxygen is produced in bubble form on the anode side in the water supplied, then discharged and in one embodiment of the invention, passed into a water separator, in which the bubbles of pure oxygen can be separated from water and then discharged appropriately.

[0027] It has turned out that only about 8% of the total volume during the inhalation phase of a person can be converted in the lung and transferred to the circulating blood. The inventive device makes available an electronic control unit, which preferably is controlled by a microprocessor and is also referred to as a demand system, which makes only precisely this amount available at the start of the inhalation phase of the user, that is, this particular amount is mixed with the air respired by the user in the respiration intervals.

[0028] For this reason, an electrolyzer is already suitable as a unit with relatively small dimensions, relatively small amounts of water being made available as the starting material for producing oxygen.

[0029] The hydrogen, formed at the same time, can be discharged, for example, catalytically over a combustion tube as water vapor to the surroundings or, in a preferred embodiment, in which the electrolyzer is coupled with the fuel cell, converted together with air from the surroundings back into water in the fuel reaction coupled thereto.

[0030] Pursuant to the invention, either a direct mains connection or an exchangeable battery can be used as supplier for electrical energy for carrying out or maintaining the individual reactions.

[0031] In a particularly advantageous development of the invention, a further fuel cell, preferably a direct methanol fuel cell, serves as a supplier of power, the methanol optionally being made available by a cartridge system.

[0032] In a further advantageous development of the invention, the oxygen is collected in a storage system, from which it is then taken selectively by means of the electronic control unit and supplied to the user.

[0033] In one embodiment of the invention, the producing unit, the pressure storage system, the supply pipeline and the electronic control unit form a unit, which is constructed so that the unit as a whole is portable and can be carried by being strapped onto the patient.

[0034] The electrical energy, required for carrying out the production of oxygen, is made available by an electric source of energy, preferably by a connection to the mains. Pursuant to the invention, this source of electric energy can be stationary. It forms a so-called “docking unit”, into which the mobile unit of the device can be inserted and to which it can be coupled, so that the oxygen-producing process can take place. In other words, the mobile unit can be used in its mobile stage, separated from the energy source, as long as there is oxygen in the storage system. When the pressurized storage system is empty, the mobile unit is connected once again with the source of electrical energy, so that it can be filled with pure oxygen. The size of the pressurized storage system determines the time period during which the mobile unit can be used.

[0035] The generating unit either has a separate inlet for the water that is required, through which it can be filled, for example, from a pressurized storage unit, or, in one embodiment of the invention, a connection, which is connected with a water-supplying pipeline, which is provided at the stationary “docking unit”.

[0036] It becomes clear that, due to the use of an electrolyzer and a fuel cell, which are either separate from one another or combined in a single cell, which preferably is constructed as a PEM cell, a light and compact unit is formed, which operates extremely quietly because of the reaction taking place therein. Moreover, the electronically controlled selective acceptance of the oxygen produced enables the unit to be reduced in size extensively, since the whole of the inhalation volume of oxygen does not have to be produced, but only certain fraction thereof. The use of conventional water as a supplier of oxygen also simplifies the use of this device, so that it can be used without problems at home and, in an advantageous development of the invention, can also be configured as a mobile unit.

[0037] Further advantages and developments of the devices arise out of the dependent claims.

[0038] In the following, the mode of functioning of the principle, on which the inventions is based, is to be explained in greater detail by examples shown in the attached drawing, in which

[0039]FIG. 1 shows a block circuit diagram showing the method and the device of the invention and

[0040]FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic representation of an inventive device as a mobile unit.

[0041]FIG. 1 shows a block circuit diagram of the inventive principle of generating oxygen with a generating unit 1. Depending on the embodiment, the generating unit 1 consists either of an electrolyzer, which is coupled with a fuel cell, or of a single PEM cell, which combines the functions of an electrolyzer and a fuel cell. The basic construction of such cells is generally known.

[0042] The generating unit 1 is supplied with water as starting material from a water storage system 2. The corresponding reactions of the electrolysis and of the fuel cell then take place in the generating unit 1.

[0043] Pure oxygen is formed as bubbles in the water present at the anode side of the generating unit 1. This water is discharged together with the oxygen and supplied to a water separator 3, in which the pure oxygen is separated from the water, so that the water separator 3 can function, on the one hand, as an oxygen storage system 4 and, on the other, as a water storage system 2.

[0044] At the cathode side of the generating unit 1, air from the surroundings is supplied over a pipeline 5, in order to make the conversion back into water possible. The resulting water, as well as the oxygen obtained, are discharged over a common pipeline 6, also over a water separator 7.

[0045] After it is collected in a water storage system 8, the water is added over a recycling pipeline 9 to the supplying pipeline 10 from the water storage system 2, so that a closed cycle is formed.

[0046] The pure oxygen form the oxygen storage system 4 is supplied over a feed pipeline 11 to the air respired by the patient.

[0047] An electronic control system 12, which is also referred to as a demand system and is controlled by a CPU 13, regulates the selective removal of pure oxygen over a valve 14.

[0048] The CPU 13, once again over a valve 15, controls the supplying of water from a water-replenishing system 16.

[0049] The CPU 13 or the demand system 12 can be connected with sensors, which determine the amount of the pure oxygen required, as a function of the inhalation of the user.

[0050] The whole system is supplied with electrical energy required for carrying out the control and the splitting and conversion processes, from an energy source, which is not shown and may be constructed as a battery, a mains connection or a further fuel cell, a current transformer 17 being used.

[0051]FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows an inventive device, which consists of mobile unit 18 and a stationary unit 19.

[0052] The mobile unit 18 consists of an oxygen-generating unit 1, a pressurized storage system 20, which is connected directly to the generating unit 1 and in which the pure oxygen, generated by electrolysis, is collected.

[0053] A pressure reducer 22 is provided between the pressurized storage system 20 and the pipeline 21 supplying the patient. The supplying pipeline 21 is coupled by known valve techniques with an electronic system 12, so that pure oxygen is taken from the pressurized storage system 20 at certain intervals only at particular times of the inhalation phase and supplied to the air respired by the patient and the concentration of oxygen in this air is increased selectively.

[0054] The generating unit 1 of the mobile unit 18 is connected over an electrical lead 21 with the electric mains part 24 of the stationary unit 19. 

1. Method for increasing the concentration of oxygen in respired air, for which water is split by means of electrical energy into oxygen and hydrogen (electrolysis), the oxygen is mixed with the air respired and the hydrogen is converted with air from the surroundings back into water (fuel reaction), the splitting of the water into oxygen and hydrogen and the conversion of the hydrogen with surrounding air into water taking place simultaneously and continuously with formation of a reaction cycle and being coupled with one another, in that the electrical energy, obtained by the conversion, is utilized for decreasing the energy required for the splitting.
 2. The method of claim 1, for which is the water, obtained by the conversion, is returned once again to the splitting.
 3. The method of claims 1 or 2, for which the electrical energy, required for starting and/or maintaining the reaction cycle, is taken from a source of electrical energy.
 4. The method of claims 1 or 2, for which the electrical energy, required for starting and/or maintaining the reaction cycle, is generated exclusively by the fuel reaction or by a further fuel reaction, which takes place separately, to which, in each case, additional hydrogen is supplied.
 5. The method of claim 4, for which the additional hydrogen is obtained from methanol.
 6. Method for increasing the concentration of oxygen in respired air, for which water is split by means of electrical energy catalytically into hydrogen ions and oxygen ions, the oxygen ions, with emission of electrons, combining to oxygen, which is admixed with the respired air, and the hydrogen ions being converted catalytically with the electrons and the air from the surroundings back into water, the splitting of water into hydrogen ions and oxygen ions, the combining of the oxygen ions into oxygen and the conversion of the hydrogen ions with air from the surroundings into water taking place simultaneously and continuously with the formation of a reaction cycle.
 7. The method of claim 6, for which the water obtained is returned once again to the splitting process.
 8. The method of claims 6 or 7, for which the electrical energy, required for commencing and/or maintaining the reaction cycle, is taken from a source of energy.
 9. The method of claims 6 or 7, for which the electrical energy, required for commencing and/or maintaining the reaction cycle, is generated by a separate fuel reaction, to which additional hydrogen is supplied.
 10. The method of claim 9, for which the additional hydrogen is obtained from methanol.
 11. Device for increasing the concentration of oxygen in the respired air, consisting of a generating unit (1) for oxygen, a source of electric energy, a feed pipeline from the generating unit (1) to a user and an electronic control unit (12), which mixes the oxygen produced selectively with the air respired by the user, especially at the start of the inhalation phase.
 12. The device of claim 11, characterized in that the generating unit (1) is an electrolyzer for splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen.
 13. The devices of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that a fuel cell for converting hydrogen with air from the surroundings into water is connected for the transfer of fluids and electrically with the electrolyzer in such a manner, that the electrical energy, obtained by the conversion, is used to decrease the energy required for the splitting and that the water, obtained by the conversion, is returned once again to the splitting.
 14. The device of claim 13, characterized in that the electrolyzer and/or the fuel cell is/are constructed as a PEM (polymer electrolyte membrane) cell.
 15. The device of claim 14, characterized in that the fuel cell is connected with a refillable or exchangeable hydrogen storage device (2), especially with a metal hybrid storage device or a pressure storage device.
 16. The device of claim 15, characterized in that the hydrogen storage device is connected to a fuel reformer.
 17. The device of claim 13, characterized in that the electrolyzer and the fuel cell are combined in a cell, particularly as a PEM cell.
 18. The device of one of the claims 11 to 17, characterized in that the source of electrical energy is a battery and/or a mains connection.
 19. The device of one of the claims 11 to 17, characterized in that the source of electrical energy is a further fuel cell.
 20. The device of claim 19, characterized in that the fuel cell is constructed as a direct methanol fuel cell.
 21. The device of claim 20, characterized in that it has a disposable or reusable cartridge system for the methanol.
 22. The device of claim 19, characterized in that the further fuel cell is connected with a refillable or exchangeable hydrogen storage system.
 23. The device of one of the claims 11 to 22, characterized in that, between the generating unit (1) and the supply pipeline (11) for the oxygen, an integrated or removable oxygen storage system (4), especially a pressurized storage system, is provided, in which the oxygen, generated continuously in the generating unit (1), is collected and from which it is removed by means of the electronic control unit (12) selectively, especially only at the start of the inhalation phase, and mixed with the respired air.
 24. The device of claim 23, characterized in that the electronic control unit (12) is connected to sensors for measuring the oxygen required by the user.
 25. The device of one of the claims 11 to 24, characterized in that it is constructed as a stationary or mobile unit.
 26. The device of claim 25, characterized in that the generating unit (1), the pressurized storage system (20), the supply pipeline (11) and the electronic control unit (12) are constructed as a mobile unit (18) and in that the source of electrical energy is constructed as a stationary unit (19) and can be connected with one another for generating and storing the oxygen.
 27. The device of claim 26, characterized in that the stationary unit (19) has a connection for water.
 28. The device of claims 26 or 27, characterized in that the pressurized storage system (20) has a pressure reducer (22) to the supply pipeline.
 29. Use of a method of claims 1 to 10 of a device of claims 11 to 28 for the supportive medical care of patients with pathological lung damage or for supporting the artificial respiration of intensive care patients or the training of athletes or for supporting an oxygen therapy. 